Electronic control devices (ECDs) for incapacitating humans and animals are well known. One of the most well-known manufacturers of electronic control devices is TASER® International, Inc. The X26 model hand-held ECD is one of the most used TASER® products. The X26 model operates basically as follows: the weapon launches a first dart and a second dart; each dart remains connected to the weapon by an electrically conductive wire; the darts strike an individual; and electrical pulses from the weapon travel to the first dart, from the first dart travel through the individual's body, into the second dart, and return to the weapon via the electrically conductive wire attached to the second dart. More information related to TASER® hand-held ECDs can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,412, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference
While hand-held ECDs such as the TASER® X26 are extremely effective, there may be situations in which the user would prefer a hand-held ECD that discharged wireless projectiles to incapacitate an individual. Information related to embodiments of wireless projectiles and hand-held ECDs used for launching wireless projectiles may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,862,994 and 7,096,792, the entire contents of each being expressly incorporated herein by reference. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,994 suffers from at least the following disadvantages: a single, large shock simply acts as an irritation to the recipient; a single, large shock does not incapacitate the recipient's muscles; and, any electric field generated by the projectile is limited in its effectiveness because of the projectile's narrow electrode spacing.
Another example of a wireless ECD projectile is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No 2006/0256498 to Smith et al (hereafter “Smith”), the entire contents of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference Smith teaches a projectile that, unlike embodiments of the present invention, includes a battery and a charging transformer.
The art referred to or described above is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention.
All U.S. patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided for the purposes of complying with 37 C F R §1.72